Developing your Personal Brand as an Event Planner

Being an event planner is extremely fun (most of the time). Those planners who stand out from the crowd as the best of the pack when it comes to dedication, hard work, creativity and achievements are those who have created a name for themselves in the sea of event managers around the world.

The events industry is one that continues to grow tremendously year after year, so making a name for yourself can sometimes be hard to do. One key objective whether you’re a newbie to the events crowd, or an accomplished rock star planner is to develop your own signature brand as an events planner.

Creating your own personal brand is important to not only your career and development in your growth, but also to who you are as an individual so you know what TYPE of event planner you want to become. Here are a few ways you can start to develop your brand!

Pull out all the stops

Go into creating your own brand with an all-encompassed, positive attitude. In other words, you’re the CEO/President/Chief of Everything for your own personal company that represents you. Think of everything that makes you stand out from your peers. What is unique about the way you plan events?

What special touch do you like to add on to events? Figure out these key elements that will represent YOU within your industry, and those will become your signature trademark and help showcase your personal brand.

Remember you’re not marketing a product or a company; you’re marketing yourself when it comes to your brand. Use fresh, energetic and passionate lingo when messaging your personal brand. Stay true to who you are, otherwise buzzwords and big marketing hype can come across as overdone or a brand type people may not want to relate to.

Set Goals and Ask Questions

Make a list of goals you want to accomplish as you work towards developing your brand. Where do you see yourself in the next three to six months? Where do you want to be in a year? What are your passions and strengths you want showcased in your brand?

These goals are important to be able to achieve brand development goals. Reach out to event professionals who know you well and ask them what they see you excel at the best in your career. Is it being super coordinated and an amazing communicator?

Or maybe you have the best creative themes for every event you plan? Create a spreadsheet highlighting all of the awesome attributes your colleagues say you are succeeding at, and then incorporate those phrases or power words into your personal brand. You can also use these as milestones to continue to work towards growing these areas of your career every year.

Pay Attention to Details

When defining your personal brand, keep in mind everything you do will contribute to your brand. This means make sure everything you message online – whether it’s on your own personal blog, website, social media channels, or quotes in your email signature, are professional and unique to the brand you are creating for yourself. Beyond what you write online, the way you appear in the real world also plays a big impact into your personal brand.

From the way you dress, to your attitude at work, how you interact with co-workers and with people you meet within the events industry – whether they may be speakers at an event, event vendors, or tradeshow attendees. All of these elements need to stay consistent with your brand message.

Spread the Word

Once you have set your goals and have a good baseline for the type of personal brand you want to strive for, be sure to communicate your brand via social outlets, blogs and/or your own website. As an event planner, your voice can become lost in the sea of tweets, blogs or Instagram posts, so find ways to stand out.

Use creative hashtags that represent you, or start posting unique photos from events you plan that have a creative twist to them. Not every event planner has the same idea, so think about why your personal brand is interesting and fun, then spread those cool ideas online! Just remember to be consistent with posting, and stay relevant to your brand message.

In Conclusion

Developing your own personal brand as an event planner can be very exciting, and something all event planners should take time to do in order to stand out from the crowd. There are so many amazing planners online who are known for their spunky themes at events, or hardcore checklists and coordinating tips. What type of brand do you think you have? Send a few notes to your industry peers this week and see what they think are your best qualities and get started on molding your brand!

Holly Barker is a Digital Native with a passion to help shape events and brands through storytelling, creativity and digital magic. She has over 10 years of experience consisting of social media marketing, events and promotional management, digital marketing, and brand development. Follow Holly at @holsk.